The UAE confirmed today, Monday, that it is launching the oral version of the weight loss drug 'Wegovy', a pill that is taken only once a day and has now entered the competitive market of weight loss medications in the region without the need for injections.

Along with the announcement of this approval, the first shipment of the drug also arrived in the UAE on Monday, and it is expected to be available in pharmacies soon. The official price has not yet been announced, but it is anticipated to be similar to the 'Foundayo' pill; starting at around 770 dirhams for lower doses and reaching up to about 1600 dirhams for higher doses.

Wegovy, produced by the Danish company Novo Nordisk, was previously available in the UAE only as an injectable. Now its pill version has been approved, making the UAE the second country in the world after the USA to grant approval for this drug.

This drug belongs to the GLP-1 family; a group of medications that have transformed the global weight loss market over the past two years. Doctors say Wegovy is not just for weight loss but can also reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death from heart disease in high-risk individuals.

One of the significant differences of the new oral version is that, unlike many semaglutide injections, it does not require refrigeration.

According to clinical trial results, individuals who took the highest dose of 25 mg of Wegovy experienced an average weight loss of about 13.6% over 64 weeks. In comparison, users of the Foundayo pill achieved an average weight loss of 11.1% over 72 weeks in trials.

In the USA, this pill quickly became popular after FDA approval; in the first week alone, about 18,000 prescriptions were registered, and since then, over two million additional prescriptions have been issued.

Novo Nordisk has also announced plans to establish a regional distribution center in the UAE; a center that will be one of the three main hubs for distributing the company's products worldwide. The company stated that the choice of the UAE was due to the advanced logistics infrastructure and strong investment climate in the country.

Source: National News